Find out exactly where James Webb is located in space and why NASA and the ESA put their most impressive space telescope out there.
it could look deep into the universe without running into a lot of interference. But where exactly is James Webb located in space? Here’s what you need to know.
The James Webb space telescope is currently situated at what astronomers call the second Lagrange point or L2. From here, Webb can safely orbit the Sun, protecting the sensitive equipment stored within. Ensuring James Webb was located far from the Sun was important because the telescope observes our universe using infrared light.
Webb needs to avoid big, bright objects as much as possible to observe the faint signals from distant stars. So, putting Webb in orbit at L2 allows astronomers to operate the telescope roughly as it safely revolves around the Sun 1.5 million kilometers from our own planet. This allows it to stay in line with Earth and be protected from the Sun’s bright light and intense heat.
The only downside to being so far away from our planet is that Webb isn’t something we can easily work on if it needs maintenance or upkeep. As such, the chances of the newer space telescope lasting as long as its predecessor – Hubble – are fairly slim.
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